TABLE OF CONTENTS

What is a 1-month weight loss boot camp?

Summerlong ‘Fat Camps‘ were popular for teens in the US for years, but a similar option for adults didn’t start to emerge in the UK until around 2010. In 2012, Craig & Paula Williams opened a camp specialising in long term courses with a smarter, more sustainable training and food plan. Traditional weight loss boot camps and fitness boot camp holidays focus on short intense ‘smash & starve’ protocols which are great for a hit of rapid weight loss, weight management and hardcore fitness but is detrimental over several weeks.

Creator of the TEAM Bootcamp training programme Craig Williams explains more.

What results can I expect during a month at a weight-loss camp?

Results during a 1-month boot camp vary for lots of different reasons from starting weight, a boot campers history with dieting, training ability & mobility and adherence to the programme. 

The table below shows the weekly weight loss from a number previous boot campers here at TEAM Bootcamp over 6 weeks.

“It’s the optimal amount of time to get the most out of all aspects of boot camp” – Ricci

“Good results, kick start a healthier lifestyle.” – Nicola

Fundamentally, boot camp is a positive place to be and Here are several tips to deal with this. 

1 – It’s perfectly normal.

It’s a big jump and a huge challenge. It’s perfectly normal to worry about moving into a large house with a lot of strangers, in a different town but the majority of people settle down quickly and many go on to forge friendships that will last forever. 

2 – Be yourself

The boot camp groups are made up of all sorts of people from a variety of different backgrounds there for a multitude of reasons.

Here are some of the reasons our panel decided on a multi-week boot camp.

“After leaving my job and moving back to London I decided to take time out and focus on me, a part of that was getting my health back on track after 6 years of focusing on my career I got into bad habits of eating and drinking the wrong things. Mainly because I didn’t think I had enough time to eat correctly.” – Chris

“I had extremely bad anxiety that affected me being able to do simple things like eat and leave the house. I decided that if I was going to do Bootcamp or fat camp it needed to be for a longer period for me to be able to overcome the anxiety and to lose a healthy amount of weight.” Sophie

“Most of the time we see the very best of people at boot camp” – Craig

The training programme and fitness classes add controlled adversity and challenge to the day and adversity expose character. 

3 – Concentrate on the programme

Like a plane being blown temporarily off course, the autopilot will always bring it back online. Concentrating on the programme and the attainment of your goals should be your autopilot and prior focus throughout your stay. Let other people do what they do. There will be the behaviour you don’t understand or that annoys you, but try to view it all with curiosity instead of animosity. Curiosity drowns out frustration and anger. If that fails, remember that the front of house staff and a camp manager is there to help.

4 – Give yourself credit

It’s easy to get caught up in a cycle of trying and failing and ‘feeling’ like a failure, but the truth is, as you stand right now… you have overcome every major obstacle in your life. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be here, right?

We all have the innate ability to deal with every challenge we will ever face if we get out of our way for a while.

What if I am not fit enough or have never exercised in my life?

The phrase ‘fit enough’ suggests there is a minimum standard of fitness required in order to complete boot camp. The truth is that there isn’t. TEAM Bootcamp training is expertly scaled to all abilities.

That doesn’t mean boot camp is easy. Nothing worth having comes easily and rapid weight loss and a significant boost to your health and fitness are no exceptions.

We have picked out 3 stories that will help dispel this fear.

Tim

Tim was a 40-year-old male with one arm and a number of almost crippling injuries from a terrible car accident. He was rammed off the road by a huge lorry, breaking numerous bones in his body. His weight got out of control during his convalescence. His sessions started at just 5 mins long and soon he was walking 4 miles a day and took part in almost all the boot camp sessions. He went on to lose 4 stone.

Jane is a 65-year-old grandmother who arrived for 2 weeks with her granddaughter. Jane was nervous but was willing to give it a shot. Although she only had a few pounds to lose, Jane had done very little actual fitness training throughout her life and her upper body strength was limited. The trainers held her back slightly initially, but as Janes confidence grew, so did her competitive nature. After a few days, she was often leading the runs despite her age and strength improved over the two weeks.

James arrived at camp weighing in excess of 35 stone. His family became concerned about his health and thought TEAM Bootcamp may be their only hope. If they could just get him to agree!

James agreed… reluctantly, but knew he had to do something about his weight and health. We couldn’t weight him for the first 4 weeks because the scales didn’t function under that much weight. His sessions started with short walks and regular rests periods around the training field. James gradually built up his fitness ability as his weight rapidly dropped and soon he was able to complete every aspect of boot camp. His transformation was remarkable.

Does that mean a little preparation before camp will not help? No, it will definitely help, but boot camp is not PE in year 5. We work hard to be inclusive of all abilities and every exercise can be scaled. Right now, you may be worried that you can’t do a press up, but here’s how a press-up can be scaled to all abilities. See the example below, showing variations of press-ups.

Bonus Download: TEAM Bootcamp Training Itinerary (PDF Version)

At TEAM Bootcamp, you can select from a primal or plant-based nutrition plan detailed here.

We remove personal choice as our own choices have got you to where you are right now. If you want your life and lifestyle to be different, something has to change and your eating habits, likes and dislikes are central to that. We’re pretty strict regarding food and only cater to your requirements in these circumstances:

• Religious beliefs
• Allergies & Intolerances

Here are some examples of healthy snacks and meals served at TEAM.

What if I get injured at boot camp?

Fundamentally exercise is stress on the body and if you stress something too much or for a prolonged period of time, things can break. As long term boot camp specialists, we employ a periodised programme which dramatically reduces the impact and intensity placed on your body to allow the mind and body to rest, recover and recharge.

Imagine driving from Lands End to John O’Groats, other boot camps simply drop the accelerator, but the risk of blowing a gasket is extremely high. At TEAM Bootcamp we intersperse period of high speed with periods of slower driving and rest stops at the services. 

The periodized programme makes training safer, more sustainable and ultimately more effective.

In addition to the smart training protocol, we have factored clinic periods into the working day to ensure you have small aches and pains looked at, have an opportunity to dress any blisters or chaffing (easily the most common ailments at TEAM Bootcamp) and voice any concerns you may have to a trainer.

Finally, it’s worth noting that of the relatively limited number of injuries at TEAM, the majority are sustained during games when boot campers usually get a little carried away, not in the training sessions where exercise and intensity is controlled by your trainer.

The TEAM Bootcamp Advanced Training Protocol v Traditional Bootcamp Training

The training programme is designed to be safer, more effective, more sustainable and easier to follow and provides periods of intense fitness with rest and recovery periods.

How much will 1 month at boot camp cost?

Before we talk about the cost of a 1-month boot camp, let us look at how much it will save you.

How does a month at TEAM Bootcamp compare to bariatric surgery? 

We researched the cost and consequences of a number of popular weight loss surgery plans and compared them to boot camp.